Hamas holds international community responsible for Israeli delay in prisoner release

GAZA, Feb. 24 (YPA) – Hamas called on mediators and the international community on Sunday to assume their responsibilities and pressure the Israeli occupation to implement the exchange agreement.

Izzat al-Rishq, a Hamas Political Bureau member, strongly condemned the occupation’s decision to postpone the release of Palestinian prisoners, as this decision once again revealed the occupation’s evasions of its obligations.

He considered that the occupation’s propaganda that the handover ceremony was humiliating is a false claim and a flimsy argument aimed at evading the agreement’s obligations, as the ceremony did not include any insult to the prisoners, but rather reflected the dignified humane treatment of them.

“The real insult is what our prisoners are subjected to during the release process, from torture, beatings, and deliberate humiliation until the last moments, as Palestinian prisoners are released with their hands tied and their eyes blindfolded, and their families are threatened not to hold any celebrations to welcome their freed sons,” Al-Rashq added.

The occupation was expected to release more than 600 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday, after Hamas completed the handover of 6 Israeli prisoners, but Netanyahu decided to postpone their release in response to what he said were violations by Hamas.

AA